By now you know that Edge has retired. What you do not know is why it has taken me so long to get to his career retrospective that I have been promising! Well, never fear, as here it comes!
What's interesting about this is that I am old enough to remember Edge's entire career. If I were to do a Flair or HBK piece like this, I'd be lying if I said that I remembered watching Flair's first title win or HBK's barber shop incident live. The former I wasn't even alive for and the latter I was maybe 6, so suffice to say it would be difficult to present that. That is not the case with Edge.
I had gotten back into wrestling around the time that Edge was a loner guy that the camera would locate coming through the crowd and at that point, he was silent. My, how far we've come! From silent assassin to vampire to Bill and Ted knockoff to crazy babyface to the Rated R Superstar, Edge's career is perhaps the most decorated of anyone from 1998 forward. I figured the best way I could pay tribute to a man that has been there for much of my wrestling life is to pick out my top 10 memories of him. These are very debatable, but it's my list and this is what I chose! If you have other memories, please feel free to share them in the comments section below. But first, check out mine:
10. The Brood Hangs The Big Bossman - This is probably an embarassing one as it was just utterly ridiculous, but that's probably why I remember it. This was the first Wrestlemania I had watched live in years and for some reason, this moment really stands out to me. Looking back, the show isn't a very good one, but it was always special to me due to being the first of my teenage years. Still, this was a moment that was so outlandish and so Russo-esque that it's hard to forget. Edge will always be able to look at this as his first Wrestlemania appearance.......and realize how far he's really come!
9. Chokeslam To Hell - In 2008, Edge engaged in a long time feud with The Undertaker that rode a lot on his storyline wife, Vickie Guerrero. While the matches were fantastic and the story worked pretty well, the most memorable thing of the entire 6 month arc was the ending. In the last match, Undertaker chokeslammed Edge through the mat, sending him "to hell". It was pretty outlandish for 2008 but it was an image that plastered in many fans minds at the time. I remember thinking it was a bit silly too, but I haven't forgotten it so that's reason enough to land on this list.
8. Winning his Final Match at Wrestlemania - This match isn't all that memorable as it's not a classic in any way. However, as time goes by, it might become one. As we watched Wrestlemania just a month ago, who could have predicted that Edge's pin of Alberto Del Rio would be his last? I sure didn't know, but now that I do, it will be a moment I will surely remember. Had his career moved forward, this would be largely forgotten, but it's his last match and he retained the World Heavyweight Title at Wrestlemania. That's pretty good in my book.
7. The Real Life Matt Hardy Drama - This was a tough one to rank. For a while, Edge was incredibly hated on screen and a lot of that had to do with this real situation. Now, Edge was turning heel already, but what made it work was that he actually stole Matt Hardy's girlfriend in real life. I remember watching this feud and being amazed with them working together given the real tension between them. It was a very real story and it definitely elevated Edge's heel character more than any writing ever could. What's weird is that I remember reading Edge's book that he wrote while injured and feeling anger towards him when he mentioned Lita in it. Now that he and Lita haven't been together in a while, I picked up the book again knowing that he has mended all the fences he broke and it reads very differently. It's actually a really good read, so if you haven't read it yet, it's calle Adam Copeland on Edge and I highly recommend it. What I don't highly recommend is having this situation happen to you. Luckily for Edge, we were able to move forward and he's remembered for much better things than that.
6. Edge shaves Kurt Angle's head - The bald melon you see parading around TNA television today was first introduced by everyone's favorite Edgester! Back when he was a babyface, he was quite funny and he also was the guy to start the "you suck!" chant to go along with Angle's music. This was a very fun feud and the end of Angle's hair will always be something I remember from it. At first, it was hilarious how he tried to cover it up with wrestling gear but the truth is, he didn't look bad bald! Combine that with the real receding hairline he has and you can understand why the man kep the look! This was just a fun moment in Edge's babyface single's run that had him running towards the title before a neck injury took him out for a year.
5. The Spear off the Ladder - We've all seen this spot about 500 times but it was quite awesome when it first happened. This was in a time when the Hardys, Edge and Christian, and The Dudleys were routinely stealing the show in ladder matches. They were always trying to top themselves but not much has surpassed this spot. It might be the spot that got Edge noticed, leading to him getting the push before Christian, but it's certainly one that will make a home on highlight reels for years to come. That alone makes it memorable, even in a career like Edge's which has had plenty of big spots.
4. The Spear Through The Flaming Table - How do you coddle a superstar who just lost his first world title in less than a month? Put him against a Hardcore Legend at Wrestlemania of course! At Wrestlemania 22, Edge took on Mick Foley, who always seems to answer the "one more match" call. This one was special for Edge as it certainly established that he's crazy enough to be a full-time main eventer and he never was questioned as one after this. He won the match by spearing Foley into a flaming table which inevitably gave them both bad burns. Fun for us to watch, but I cringe doing so even today. It was a great spot though and one that will never be repeated, and for good reason!
3. The Bill Buckner 5 Second Pose - This is a little high for most lists, but it's mine and I liked this a lot! We all remember the 5 second poses "for the benefit of those with flash photography", but do you have a favorite? I sure do and if you know me, it won't surprise you. While in Boston, Massachusetts, the E&C duo used their pose time to mock Bill Buckner's muff of the ground ball in the 1986 World Series. This was back in a time when Boston STILL hadn't won a World Series since 1918 and this Yankee fan got a huge kick out of it! As a Yankee fan and a wrestling fan, this was just plain fun for me. I loved their gimmick back then and this was my favorite of those poses. Oh, Bill Buckner!
2. The Live Sex Celebration - After winning his first ever WWE title (which we'll talk about next), Edge promised to have hot sex with Lita the next night on Raw. We all thought it would be some goofy stunt but it was a ridiculous scene that saw Edge and Lita strip to their undergarments and hop into a bed before Ric Flair stopped the celebration. I couldn't believe how far they went with this whole thing and I couldn't believe the WWE was showing it! Talk about pushing the envelope! What I'll remember most from this was how over the top it was and the mockery following it where Edge was called out for............coming up a bit short, if you know what I mean.
1. The first Money in the Bank Cash In - At Wrestlemania 21, Edge won the first ever Money in the Bank briefcase. It had a contract inside that guaranteed Edge a title shot in the next year. No one at this time knew how that worked though so it would be a legitimate shock no matter when or where Edge cashed it in. Thus, when he chose to cash it in on a fallen John Cena at New Year's Revolution 10 months later, fans were totally taken aback. No one know how this thing would work and to cash in on the company's biggest star? It seemed unheard of but it worked! It set the precedent for future cash ins and is a moment that will live in wrestling lore forever. Edge might be known as the master of the ladder, the con-chair-to man, and maybe just a lunatic in general, but this act set him apart as the man who defined the Money in the Bank briefcase. Such an honor garnered him the nickname "The Ultimate Opportunist", a nickname that stuck for the rest of his career.
What is truly amazing about Edge is his ability to play any role. I think it comes from simply loving the business and wanting to entertain the fans. He certainly left a legacy, one that we won't soon forget, especially with Christian still in the WWE. These are my top moments in regards to Edge. What are yours? I'd love to hear some different ones and if there are good submissions, I might just dedicate an article to what you fans think!
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